Headed to Check Point Two: Hains Point to Madoff Skate Park at RFK... then from there... 10th and U Street....

I rolled through Check Point One in pretty good position

pedaling out the backside of Hains Point I slugged down the liquid in my water bottle... Gator-Rage: Gatorade and Red Bull

then I hit record on Strava and snapped a few shots

did not take many photos

having broken my elbow doing this photo of a cyclist while riding my bike thing has being being a little more cautious

riding at race pace and doing the camera thing is a dangerous dance

so after these shots I did not take any more photos until the alleycat was done

rolling out of Check Point One at Hains Point I tried to get a mental image of the best route to RFK

there was some mumbling about taking the highway

but for me... I-395 is not worth the risk

so I looked for alternates

there was a little consideration for Francis Case Memorial Bridge

but it seemed risky

if the bridge route were not faster than the Maine Avenue route

then I would set myself further back behind the fast legs

early on I got a sense that I did not match up well with the kids on their fixed gears

yet... I rode in their pack and worked with them

perhaps a tactical error

we rode together on Maine Avenue
traffic was pretty sparse

when the lights were not in our favor it was pretty free and easy

there was some discussion as we moved on our best route

I suggested 8th Street by Barracks Row

there was agreement

but there was this issue about intensity and pace

before 8th Street I ducked down 7th

I could not maintain their intensity

and while 8th was an obvious choice

I felt that 7th would offer fewer variables

down 7th Street then a right hand turn on E Street

from a block away I saw the boys on track bikes passed in front of me on 8th Street 

then on Penn Avenue I was once again ahead of the pack

but in seconds they were on my wheel ripping off my route

they were riding blind

I was open with where I was headed

they were going to follow me

best to reduce risk of bike on bike collision I voiced my next move

it was some zigging and zagging

but it was a decent enough path to the skate park

we all got into line and got our manifest stamped

as we collected ourselves and pointed to our next destination I heard Brian say something to the effect, "alright 14th and Upshur"
to which my need to correct people when they are wrong... I told Brian, "no... 10th and U Street"

it would have been to my advantage not to correct Brian... but to let him go on his way

sure he could have sorted it out... it was nice and all

but tactically not to my advantage

again I found myself trying to match intensity with riders of a very different style

so I let the faster\fitter\younger riders on fixed gears roll ahead

then Matt and Dave rolled up on me

Matt and Dave rolled up fast then dropped into a steady grove

not as fast as intense as the kids up ahead

in fact I felt that the pace that they were pushing at this moment was slightly off from what I was pushing alone

but it worked for me... nice for me to settle in

I was already getting worried about liquids

plotting pulling off at a corner store

looking for a hot dog vendor

anything that would quench my thirst but not zap up very much time

with Dave and Matt by my side there was some playful camaraderie but I did not feel any team allegiance 

there was talk of trajectory

I figured we would\should just head up Mass Ave through Northeast past Union Station and then on up towards the Convention Center at Mount Vernon Square

at Mount Vernon Square I altered my intentions

in part curious if Dave and Matt would follow

without any reason except for flow

I did some zigging and zagging

Dave and Matt did not follow

I had to overshoot 10th

actually... 10th was one way and I went up 10th

went right past Kevin Dillard's place

but 10th runs dead ends

so I had to do some corrections

I rolled up to the Check Point at 10th and Shaw right behind Matt and Dave

up onto the curb in line to get my manifest signed

dave-matt-me

those guys stalled in the shade for a minute

while I got back on the bike and took 11th Street up town towards Upshur